Child sex abuse trial: Defendant denies claims over street confrontation

Mohammed Imran Akhtar (37), of Godstone Road, Rotherham, is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of eight offences against three girls between 1998 and 2005.

Akhtar (pictured) and seven other men are standing trial at the court accused of 27 counts of child sexual exploitation offences allegedly committed between 1998 and 2005.

The charges are part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's investigation into historic CSE in Rotherham.

Ms Michelle Colborne, prosecuting, quoted today (Wednesday) from a secret recording made by the third complainant in the trial of a conversation with Akhtar in July, 2015, in which he said: “It’s a worrying thing... because of what somebody did 20 years ago...and it’s coming and biting them in the a***.”

Ms Colborne said: “Your words. You went to speak to [the girl] because your past was coming and biting you in the a***, didn't you?”

Akhtar said he had been referring to a time in September 2014 when another woman, who is the second complainant in the trial, had threatened to report him to the police.

Akhtar is alleged to have repeatedly indecently assaulted the second complainant between 1998 and 2001, when she would have been aged between 12 and 15.

He is accused of repeatedly raping the third complainant between 2001 and 2003, when she would have been aged between 14 and 16, indecently assaulting her, and procuring her to have sex with other men.

Ms Colborne said: “You were there [speaking to the third complainant] because there had been arrests and you were panicking that the police would be knocking on your door next, weren’t you?

“That’s what gave you sleepless nights after September 2014 — you were worried that you were going to get arrested for CSE.”

Akhtar replied: “I have never at any time exploited [the girl].”

The trial heard previously that the second complainant gave birth to a child and Akhtar believed for many years he was the father.

A DNA test later proved that he was not the child’s father.

Ms Colborne said: “I’m going to suggest that you remained silent for all those years because you hoped that, because that DNA test was negative, that actually she [the second complainant] wouldn’'t be believed, because she was a bit of a lowlife, and you hoped it would go away.”

Akhtar replied: “That’s not correct.”

Ms Colborne said Akhtar had waited until he had all the evidence and pieced it together to make it look as though he had sex with someone who was over the age of 16.

Akhtar replied: “That’s not correct.”

Akhtar rejected a suggested by Ms Colborne that third complainant was “immature” or “vulnerable” when they had “sexual relations”.

Giving evidence yesterday (Tuesday), Akhtar told jurors he had sexual intercourse with all three girls but he never thought any of them was younger than 16.

The trial continues.